steve penny » Steve Penny

The joyful sound

Steve Penny — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:15:29 +0000

Blessed is the one who hears the joyful sound.
Everybody has sounds that are an inspiration to them as well as sounds that irritate them.
One of my joyful sounds is the roar of a motorbike on full throttle.
Another is kids at play. Their sounds are so expressive and innocent.
Another of my joyful sounds is the church fully engaged in worship. There is nothing like it.
Sitting here at Starbucks Mooloolaba listening to the sounds of people enjoying a morning coffee is also like sweet music to the ears.
Truth is – you must choose to hear the joyful sound.
It is possible to hear life through distorted attitudes so that everything you hear is changed and is no longer a joyful pleasant sound.
Something said as a joke becomes a personal attack. Something said in passing becomes the foundation for a whole series of negative responses.
When you lose the capacity to hear life as a joyful sound, life then becomes a cacophony of discordant conversations rather than a symphony of voices in harmony together.
When your partners voice no longer brings joy – choose to hear the joyful sound. When the voice of your leader ceases to produce a joyful response – choose to hear the joyful sound.
You must choose. Your circumstance may not have changed but you can choose to hear different sounds within the same jungle.
Don’t keep listening for sounds in the darkness of suspicion. Remember that joy comes in the morning so wake up and choose to hear the sounds of the day. Listen to and speak sounds of the day. Only say things you can share in the light, and you will find your world starts to sound joyful again.

Keeping the faith

Steve Penny — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:38:08 +0000

There are many divergent views on how the Christian faith should be expressed. Some say we are primarily called to be worshippers of God. Others say we are to be a body unified in love as a witness to the world. Still others say that we are to be salt in a broken world bringing hope and help to the needy. Obviously all such views are correct and can be seen in differing ways in the various expressions of the Christian church. However there still exists a great need to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus to His emerging church. His clear command – to go into all the world and preach the good news to every person – is still the over-riding cause of the Christian church.
No-one is exempt from this command. We must all assess our lives in the light of this over-riding command. To do so requires us to look at our lives in three areas.
VISION – Does our vision for life have as it’s central core, a commitment to “go into our world”.
Are we living to bring things into our world – or are we living to send things from our world into “all the world.” How have we gone into our world to fulfill the command, and expand the cause of Christ.
VEHICLE – What is the vehicle you use to carry the gospel into all the world.
We all have different vehicles, and we must respect the various vehicles used by others.
Finding our vehicle of faith is probably the most liberating thing you can do in life.
VOICE – We must also learn and practice giving a reason for the hope that is within us.
Too many people say they are unable to share their faith, but wax eloquent on every other subject under the sun. I am developing a testimony bank of videos for IPad so people can share these with their friends. IPad evangelism will be the greatest tool for the church since the print media was invented. You have a voice so get with it and share your faith with others in your world.
The most exiting revolution in church history is now happening and it is preparing the church to fulfill the great command of Jesus – to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Keep your front entrance clean

Steve Penny — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:11:15 +0000

Had my car serviced yesterday at one of the large well known dealers on the Coast. First thing I noticed as I arrived was the amount of litter swirling around in the breeze outside the front door.
I had the car there early in the morning on the promise it would be ready by lunchtime.
Inside I approached the counter and without looking up the big shaved headed, tattoo covered man said YEP.
On ringing after lunch I was told the car had not been started yet and would hopefully be done today.
Later that day I received a call to say extra work was required and the cost would be double.
On the three occasions I had contact with Bald Eagle not once did he remember my name or the car I belonged to.
Moral of the story is simple – if they can’t keep their front doorstep clean how can they run a successful business.
Check out someones front lawn before going into partnership with them.
Look at your partners parents before marrying someone.
Check out a mans shoes and you will know how he controls his soul.
If you can’t keep your front lawn tidy – the part people see – what will the rest of your life be like.

Practise makes perfect

Steve Penny — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:15:27 +0000

When King David was still a boy looking after his fathers sheep he spent his time practicing with his sling.
Anything was a target – until he became expert at hitting any target before him. So when a lion and a bear attacked the sheep and later Goliath attacked God’s people he was ready for action.
I remember years ago as a young teenager having Sunday lunch at a friends house. Being bored we decided to go for a walk around the block. We loaded our pockets with rock hard little green apples off a neighbors tree, and set off in search of some action.
Just as we came to a corner a small fluffy dog ran furious out of a house intent on attack.
Instinctively I hurled one of my little green apples at the fast approaching wild animal.
The apple passed between the dogs front legs and after hitting the turf rose sharply to take out middle stump. In an instant the dog’s barking turned to wild screams and with a Herculean leap the dog went over the low side fence and around the corner. The screams continued down the road at an ever increasing pitch.
As we rounded the corner we discovered the dog’s owners saying farewell to some friends and as we approached we heard them asking one another – whatever could be wrong with Fluffy.
The lesson for today is that you must practice before the battle to be victorious in the fight.
David defeated his enemies through practice. I am still alive today because of practice.

The trip to Eidsfold

Steve Penny — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:59:47 +0000

I am sitting outside the Visitor Information Centre in Eidsfold in country Queensland. My daughter Sheree has gone inside to ask for directions. Parked in the middle of the road it is easy to watch all traffic from both directions as it passes by.
I have been amazed at the number of people towing caravans as they make their annual winter pilgrimage toward the warmer climes of central and northern QLD.
What is it that makes normal functional people for most of the year decide to hitch a mini house onto their car and then wander slowly around our inland regions – clogging up every road and highway and causing more than a little angst for those of us who are always in hurry to get somewhere.
I think the lessons to be learned today are;
1. Everyone has the right to travel through life at their own pace.
2. People in a hurry to get somewhere often miss the joy of the journey.
3. People who tow caravans obviously have way too much time on their hands.
4. Anyone who goes to Eidsfold and back in a day must have got lost.

The La Paz Syndrome

The Starbucks View

Steve Penny — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:20:58 +0000

Having walked to Mooloolaba – I am now sitting in my favorite lounge chair at Starbucks looking out over a sea at rest. Everything was perfect until three huge workmen arrived a few minutes ago and set up a worksite less than a meter away.
The view changed in an instant.
I now have a yellow guard rail around the worksite with two men leaning down into a communications manhole in the footpath. The other rather large fellow is leaning on the railing advising the two ferrets as to the right way to do things. Sadly his attire is less than impressive and his little brothers shorts are inadequate for the task expected.
Thus I sit here no longer enjoying the serenity of the sea at rest but now confronted by the grand canyon bulging out of the rear of big mans shorts.
The moral of the story today is to never let your view of life be highjacked by others.
Marion has now arrived and so we will move to a place with a better view.
Never let someone else’s point of view become your view of life. Always see life through the promises God has given to you.
Remember – you have the power to move if your present view of life is spoiled by others.

Memories

Steve Penny — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 01:34:29 +0000

I am sitting in Miranda Fair in Sutherland Shire having coffee when a whole lot of memories just flooded back to me. The very cafe I am sitting in is the same one Marion and I sat in as we waited anxiously while our eldest son Andrew went for a job interview. He got the job but only stayed one day as it wasn’t what he wanted. What he wanted was to play golf and go surfing every day, and so he got what he wanted for a while longer.
It got me to thinking about memories.
We can view memories two ways.
A. As links to what we have lost in life.
B. As deposits we have gained from life
In other words memories either reveal our scars or our stars.
Every time I visit Sydney I try to get out to Sutherland because our kids were teenagers during that season and we have so many amazing memories of those times.
I can’t help thanking God for all those amazing moments as we watched our kids become young adults and start to set their own paths in life.
Did we have some difficult moments during those years – ofcourse. But why crystalise them in stone as bad memories. Focus on the good times and visit those memories often and soon the memories of difficult times will fade away until they no longer feature in your journey of life.
You energize your future by building on your good memories.
You restrict your future by dwelling on your bad memories.
Focusing on your good memories empowers you to keep going forward in life with a positive outlook and a hope that the best is yet to come.

Discourse on Divorce

Steve Penny — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:17:46 +0000

I recently received an unsolicited tirade from a part time preacher on the subject of divorce. He belted out his views with quite some feeling and although I must confess I did not read the whole article – I did read sufficient to convince me that legalism and religious intolerance are still very much alive and well.
Now – before you take sides – which may I also say – is another one of religion’s curses – I have not actually given you my stance on the very sad situation of relationship breakdown.
What I am commenting on is the incredible waste of time – talent and energy squandered by those who carry their favourite soapbox around and then plonk it down in any public place where they can find an audience.
True leaders do what Jesus did – he tackled the hard questions with his own disciples – the rest of the time he spent publicly giving broken people hope of a fresh start.
Here is my advice to soap box Harry.
Put your soap box away and start loving some real people in your world – try helping someone through the trauma of a marriage breakdown – and then when some of these dear people actually start following you – then and only then do you have the right to discuss the big theological issues weighing so heavily upon you.
Great leaders know the difference between publicly declaring hope and privately preparing disciples.
Remember – hope does not make people ashamed.
Never once did Jesus shame people – except the religious leaders on their little soapboxes.

Old Boys Clubs

Steve Penny — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:40:20 +0000

I had the honour of playing on one of Brisbanes elite golf courses the other day. I had to play with a member as it is a very private course.
Tell you what I noticed.
A. It is very hard to get into the club and also very expensive. A two year waiting list.
B. You can’t get in unless a number of members recommend you.
C. Clergy are given special rates and have no waiting time.
D. The facilities were quite run down and showing their age.
E. There were no paths to follow and so we had to rely on local knowledge and traditions.
F. The coffee shop was closed and a volunteer lady was manning the upstairs bar and could only provide hot water for a cup of tea.
G. The one thing they did have was a heavenly view which seemed to help the members overlook all the other realities.
Sounds like some churches I know.
We must make sure that we stay connected to the now generation and be inclusive of all people.
A view of heaven is not sufficient to get people into the Kingsom of God – we have to bring heaven to earth and help people play the course well – called the journey of life.

Heart Monitors

Steve Penny — Mon, 31 May 2010 06:22:11 +0000

I was talking to a person the other day and a wrist band they were wearing started to buzz. She explained that the wrist band was linked to a heart monitor she wore around her chest and it went off whenever her heart rate rose above a certain level.
I was at first very impressed that I would have such an effect on the female species but she then explained that it went up because of stress. I then realized our conversation was having the opposite effect on the woman.
It started me thinking about the effect we have on other people when we are with them. Do we make their heart rate go up for all the wrong reasons.
I find there are three kinds of people that affect my heart rate.
A. Those who annoy me and cause my heart rate to rise for all the wrong reasons.
B. Those who inspire me and cause my heart rate to rise for all the right reasons.
C. Those who bore me and cause my heart rate to fall and put me to sleep.
It helps to monitor your heart rate and make sure you are having sufficient time with people who inspire you and get your heart pumping for all the right reasons.
Too much time with defeated or dejected people will affect your heart and restrict you from achieving all that is in your heart to do for God.
Ultimately the best heart starter I know is to declare the promises of God loud enough for your heart to respond in faith and your heart rate to rise.
Try it and get some faith adrenalin pumping – then go attempt something great for God.